Albergue in Manzanares

[peregrina2000]

If you're reading Alipilgrim's blog, you know she was in Manzanares yesterday (Day 2 on the Camino de Madrid). She mentioned a new albergue in the town, in the Ermita de Pena Sacra, an old church up on a (very steep) hill about two kms outside of the town center. Alipilgrim eventually decided to stay in town, but I wonder if anyone has any experience there.

I didn't even know it existed, and based on my google search, it's been open since February or March. In one online comment, a peregrino complained that he had walked up to the albergue only to have the priest tell him that the albergue was occupied for the weekend by a youth retreat. The poster wondered whether this was a legitimate thing for the parish to do, given that a lot of government funds were spent to refurbish it. Here are some of the articles about the opening and a description of the albergue:

http://periodistas-es.info/aqui-madrid/ ... en-madrid/

http://www.nuevaguia.net/2011/94/cultura_tc.html

And here is the comment of the disgruntled peregrino: http://www.demadridalcamino.org/2011/04 ... ena-sacra/ If you read Spanish, you can see that the albergue was "pre-booked" for Semana Santa, too, according to one of the comments.

I wonder if anyone on this forum has any experience here -- I am going to give it a try anyway, plan to arrive Wed. May 18, and I'll report back.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[alipilgrim]

Hi Laurie,

I left Mazanares this morning, surprised to see a pilgrim pull out ahead of me just as I exited town! Another passed me later in the day (he was a weekend pilgrim from Madrid, heading back there this afternoon from Cercedilla). Anyway, the latter stayed at the new Refugio, said it was very nice, it had a kitchen, and he was the only one there. That was all the info I got - neither of us spoke the same language!

Today was a holiday in the Madrid province so tons of bikers, walkers and bikers out on the trail...

Cheers, alipilgim